Race and Skin Color as an Aspect of Identity

In Gayl Jones’ “White Rat”, the author displays short anecdotes through the main character White Rat to show the effect of having white skin on a black person’s identity. White Rat’s comments on his past are said in more lighthearted sense, but it is clear in his stories, jokes, and his adamant arguing to others that he is indeed black, that his important identity as a black man is not to be questioned. In White Rat’s anecdotes, Jones makes the claim that even if a black person’s skin color is very white, the aspect of being black will always be a permanent and important part of their identity.